The Day Everything Changed
by GRandElusYon
Summary: This is in response to the news that either Goren, Ross or Eames is going to be leaving permanently. Here is my take on who it is and how it happens. Rated T for language
1. Chapter 1

The Day Everything Changed

A/N: this is in response to the news that one of the three main characters, Eames, Goren, or Ross is going to die. This is how I would love to see it happen.

_Disclaimer: I do not own Ross, Nate, Goren, Eames or their families, Dick Wolfe does._

**Prologue**

"Hey uncle Bobby when are we gonna go visit Aunt Alex???" Nate called to me from his room.

"As soon as I finish grading these papers." I called back from the room I had claimed as my office, when Nate moved in with me a few months ago, when he transferred to a private school that had classes about criminology and profiling. "Ok, finished! Get your jacket on then we can leave."

Nate grabbed his coat and met me at the car. "Hard to believe it's been five years today. Or that it was another beautiful fall day that day too." Nate said wiping away a tear that was making its way down his cheek.

Once we arrived at the cemetery, I let him have his time with the woman who gave birth to him. As I watched him visiting with his favorite aunt, I couldn't help remembering her pregnancy and how much I discovered during those nine months. It really was a remarkable thing what she had done for her sister. When He got done visiting with Alex I made my way to her gravestone.

"Hey Allie. Hard to believe it's been five years today. I still remember everything that we had planned for later that day." I gave a watery chuckle, and didn't even attempt to stem the flow of tears I knew were making their way down my cheeks. "It was supposed to be a normal visit to the crime scene, none of us thought the perp would come back, that he would be high, that he would do what we each knew could, but never thought would, happen…"


	2. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer: I do not own Ross, Nate, Goren, Eames or their families, Dick Wolfe does_ Chapter 1

…We finally reached the location of the murder, a very affluent neighborhood, the kind of place where one would least expect this kind of thing to ever occur. Eames and I got out of the SUV and asked the officer already on the scene for all relevant information.

"The victim's Jane Snow. Worked for the Chief for three years. Divorced, one child who lives with her, age 17, named Sean. Current location is unknown as is his location for last night. Has a known problem with drugs. Parents got divorced last year when the husband was caught cheating by the wife. Husband currently lives in Albany with the mistress."

"Thank you Officer. C'mon Goren, let's get to work." Eames said heading off to where the body was.

Following her, I couldn't help thinking about how our partnership had change, especially in the last two years. We had gone from being best friends and the best partners the NYPD had ever seen to being what most would term bitter enemies, to once again being best friends and had started dating within the past three months. It seemed to be the logical next step since we already hung out together outside of work, and spent the night at each other's houses most nights. I still couldn't believe how well everything was going, especially at work. Somehow we managed to keep the change in our relationship hidden, even from our captain. We also knew that we had found our other half.

"Hey Bobby, you gonna get to work or are you just going to enjoy the view and let me do all the work?" Eames called out to me, reminding me that we had a job to do and that we were on the clock.

Making my way to the body and Eames I quickly got down to business and did my thing of sniffing the body and touching the hands and back.

"Hey Al-Eames did you notice the angle of the wound? How it seems to be slanting downward?" I pointed out to her. "What do you make of her outfit and make-up? Seems a bit over dressed for 9 pm at night. Maybe she was getting back from a date?"

"So the shooter is a bit taller than her. That would be true of a lot of women Goren. Maybe…Do we know if she and the son argued at all over her possibly beginning to date again?"

"The neighbors said they heard a commotion last night around the time they saw her arriving home." The officer said.

"Ok. And Let me guess none of them saw anything did they?" Eames said.

"Sorry Detective, no luck there."

"Alright, well keep an eye on the crime scene until they are done bagging and tagging evidence. Then go about your duties officer. We're pretty much done here. Let's head back to 1PP to begin the search for the missing son." Eames said with a sigh, heading towards the SUV.

Picking up my leather binder I followed her out of the house and toward the SUV. We were almost at the SUV when all hell seemed to break loose.

One minute we were walking to the SUV, the next shots rang out and we were both on the ground. I got up quickly and ran towards the vehicle seeking shelter. I looked next to me, expecting to see Alex, but all I saw was the empty sidewalk. Looking behind me, my heart stopped momentarily as I saw her lying in what was a quickly growing pool of her blood.

Grabbing my radio I yelled,

"This is Detective Robert Goren Major Case Squad. Officer down and shots fired. I repeat OFFICER DOWN! SEND A BUS TO THE HOME OF JANE SNOW! AND PUT A RUSH ON IT!"

"Copy that Detective Goren. A bus is on its way." The dispatcher said.

Making my way to where Alex was lying I realized how bad it really was. The shot had hit her in the stomach, which meant it might have gone through the stomach and the intestines.

"Oh God no! Allie can you hear me? Everything's going to be ok. Stay with me baby! I love you. You can't leave me, not now, not when everything is going so well. Weren't you telling me at breakfast about some plans you were making with Nate?"

Attempting to blink back tears of fear, I tried to staunch the blood leaving her body.

"Hm? Oh right! Plans with Nate!" Alex said wincing as she tried to find a way to alleviate her discomfort. "I was planning on taking Nate to the Museum of Natural History, and wanted to know if you'd join us. Since we both love the Museum and your presence." She said with a small wink. She paused, wincing in pain. "SONUVABITCH that hurts!" I noticed her eyes closing as I heard the sirens from the ambulance.

"Wake up Allie! Come on stay awake for me! The ambulance is almost here" I leaned down, giving her a kiss, which she returned, albeit weakly, and trying to keep her warm, fearing she might be going into shock.

Just then the ambulance pulled up and the medics got out.

"She's starting to go into shock. GSW to the abdominal region, losing massive amounts of blood." I called out to the medics as they unloaded the gurney and grabbed a blanket.

Quickly placing Alex on the gurney and wrapping her in the blanket I once again covered her stomach with my hands to staunch the blood flow as they put an oxygen mask on her face and hooked her up to an IV bag.

"One, two, three LIFT!" One of the medics called out as they lifted the gurney into the back of the bus and I climbed in quickly after her.


	3. Chapter 3

_Disclaimer: I do not own Ross, Nate, Goren, Eames or their families, Dick Wolfe does_

Chapter 2

Once we got to Mercy General, the medics and doctors rushed my partner to surgery. Which left me alone in the waiting room. Alone to worry, alone to repeat the same answer to the same question as colleagues and her family came to show their support and find out what happened.

"Aunt Alex is gonna be ok right Uncle Bobby??" A small voice said from next to me.

I looked down and saw Alex's nephew. Leaning down and giving him a hug, I said,

"I don't know. But I hope so Nate. I really hope so." Seeing him trying to be brave and wipe away the tears caused by his fear, I sat down and pulled him close. "No matter what happens, remember she loves us and will always be with us, ok?"

Nate nodded and wrapped his arms tightly around me, resting his head on my shoulder, much like his aunt did right before she dozed off. _'They really are very much alike.'_ I thought to myself with a sad chuckle.

At Nate's puzzled look, I told him,

"Just thinking how much like your Aunt Alex you are." At hearing this he grinned, like I had given him the biggest compliment someone possibly could.

As we sat there waiting all I could think was

"Please, after everything we've gone through, don't take her from me now!"

"She had flat lined on the way to the hospital, but thankfully they had managed to restart her heart. _'How dare it be such a gorgeous fall day when my world, and the most important thing in it, seems to be falling apart?'_ I can't help grousing to myself. _'How much longer? Surely they can give us an update at least!'_ I think to myself glancing at the clock. We had already been there for nearly fifteen hours. _'Hard to believe we were making plans to go to our favorite spot in Central Park just this morning, and now here I am wondering if she is even going to survive_._'_

Out of the corner of my eye I noticed Ross putting his phone away and heading towards me. He had been among the first to arrive, her family not far behind him.

"They found the son. Apparently he and his mother were arguing last night. He was still hoping she would get back with his dad, and he was high on Meth. When she tried to tell him that wasn't going to happen, he took out the gun, which he had stolen from a friend, and shot her. He was also the one who shot Eames. He was afraid that he was going to go to jail and still high from the drugs, he shot at the first police officers he saw, which unfortunately happened to be you and Eames. Ballistics confirmed that the bullet from Snow matches the one from Eames. He confessed to both murders and is in holding at 1PP awaiting arraignment."

As Ross finished informing me of the events with the Sean Snow. The doctor in charge of Alex's surgery came out and made his way towards us.

Seeing Eames's family and Ross and myself gathered he asked,

"Are you here for Detective Alex Eames?" At my nod, he continued, "I'm Doctor Charles Anthony. I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but Detective Eames crashed twice on the operating table. We were able to restart her heart the first time, but the second time… The bullet went in through her stomach and out through her intestines, causing her to lose massive amounts of blood and for the acids from the stomach and intestines to invade her system. I'm sorry, but she didn't make it. I'm sorry for your loss." After saying this he went back to the OR and other people he had to help save.

I felt my legs crumble beneath me and tears cascading down my face. I also felt Nate's arms wrapping around my neck and he cried at the loss of his favorite aunt. Pulling him close to me, I whispered words of comfort to him, knowing that at the moment they would do very little good. For a moment all of us just stood there in shock, before the tears and sobs began, from her family. Choking back a sob of my own, I told Ross,

"I..I…I want Sean Snow arrested and charged with the murder of Detective First Grade Alexandra Marie Eames and Jane Snow. I don't want that sonuvabitch scumbag to ever see daylight or breathe air again."

"Consider it done. I am so sorry Goren." Ross said.

"Also, consider this my two weeks notice. I can't do this job. Not without her. I was unable to keep a partner longer than a day before her. You know it will go back to being the same way, and you and I both know that the Chief of D's won't let me work alone." I said, chocking back the tears and another sob.

"I understand Detective. You will be missed by all of us at Major Case. We also appreciate all of your hard work and both your and Detective Eames's long service and dedication to the city and people of New York City." Ross stood and saluted me, after placing Nate on his feet and disentangling myself from his arms, I too stood and saluted. "Know too, Detective, that it has been a privilege and honor to be your captain."


	4. Chapter 4

_Disclaimer: I do not own Ross, Nate, Goren, Eames or their families, Dick Wolfe does_

Epilogue

"Sean ended up getting the death penalty, and was executed before his twentieth birthday. Aside from cleaning out our desks, I have never returned to One Police Plaza. Your dad and family helped me through the funeral, where all our colleagues, both past and present, came to honor part of the best team ever seen in the NYPD. Deakins and Carver were both there. Deakins, your dad, and I gave the eulogy. In the weeks and months your death your family helped me tremendously. I found out that Ross left shortly after I did, saying he felt responsible for your death somehow, and retired to a nice neighborhood on Long Island. I also found out that he and Rogers ended up getting married a few years ago."

"I ended up becoming a criminology and profiling teacher at NYU's Manhattan campus. My classes always are filled to capacity, because everyone has heard the stories of how good we were and want to learn from the best. I still have that one picture of us from the Christmas Party right before Deakins left. It's my favorite picture of both of us. We seemed so happy and carefree. It was right before everything got so bad, remember? It's on my desk where I see it as soon as I walk in and as soon as I leave. Nichols got a new partner and Wheeler got married last year. Nichols is still being a pain for the captain." I paused chuckling sadly. "Hard to believe its been five years today Allie. I still love and miss you, as do Nate and your entire family. Nate's looking into following in your footsteps and going into the police force. Feels he should, seeing as you were his favorite aunt and he loves hearing about your time on the force. He's also moved in with me so that he can go to a school that has electives in the basics of criminology and profiling. I love you Allie." I kiss two fingers and place them on her headstone then make my way to Nate and we head to the car. On the anniversary of her death, we come out here together to be with the woman we both loved more than life.

As we were getting into the car, a gentle breeze caressed our faces.

"Love you too Allie." I said knowing it was her letting us know she was still watching over us.

"Love you too Aunt Alex." Nate said.


End file.
